Yuguda: Boko Haram is Not Against The Nigerian Society

Oct 2nd, 2011 – Yuguda: Boko Haram is Not Against The Nigerian Society

Isa Yuguda, Bauchi State Governor, on Friday declared that the Islamic sect, Boko Haram, were grossly misunderstood by their fellow Nigerians.

Fielding questions on the Security challenge in the North, from journalists at the Presidential villa, the governor who was one of the first three Northern governors to issue an apology to the group which has claimed responsibility for several terrorist attacks in the country, argued that the Boko Haram group was not necessarily against the Nigerian society.

Meaning & Motives of Boko Haram

In his words: “I want the Press to appreciate and let them try to define what Boko Haram really means. Boko in Hausa means learning in English whileHaram is something forbidden.

“They did not say they forbid learning in Arabic, neither did they say they forbid learning in Chinese language or German or French.

“So, then you ask yourself, what is this Boko Haram? Is learning Medicine in Arabic forbidden? The average Nigerian Journalist thinks about Islamic sect springing up to fight the society. That is not true.

“The fact is that, if it is fighting Western education, have you ever seen where a group of terrorists has gone to bomb a primary school, or a secondary school or laboratory or even hospital?

“The spate of terrorism we have seen is targeted towards police stations and killing of politicians. So there lies the question what is Boko Haram?

“When you do your research you will likely come up with the fact that Boko Haram is about something else.”

The Bauchi State Governor pointed out that the problems facing the country can be solved when leaders realise that their responsibility is to create jobs, put food on the tables of the people, check armed robbery, revive ailing industries and ensure electricity for our people as “ an idle mind is the devil’s workshop”.

Yuguda noted that an absence of the above mentioned is what gave rise to the group.

“So, Boko Haram was used by those young men who graduated for so many years without a job and they have first and even second degrees and have stayed for many years without jobs.

“So what else do you expect them to do and what do you expect the devil to tell them?

“But for them, learning in this particular language has made it difficult for them to get jobs. It could be a psychological thing.

“So it is a challenge for us as a generation to rally round Mr. President to succeed. It is God who gave him the Presidency, we must support him by being transparent,” the governor said while insisting that “despite the things that have happened, Nigeria’s level of security is not worse than several other countries.